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Facets of Ayahuasca: A Guide to Journeys of Healing, Insight, and Growth
Every day, more people around the world are hearing about ayahuasca and awakening to transform their lives. What about you?
Are you drinking ayahuasca, or thinking of drinking? Your first ceremony may be confusing, exciting, nauseating, surprising, scary, boring, or joyous. Whatever it is, every time will differ as part of a larger ongoing process. The plants, or La Medicina, are therapeutic and can stimulate an intense psychological and life-shifting spiritual journey for most people.
In this practical guide, you will find must-know key details about ayahuasca. The arc of responsible use covers preparation, ceremony, and integration. You'll find best-practices and insights on archetypes, relationships, energy work, sexuality, related healing approaches, the community, and what it takes to serve medicine. There is also a glossary, list of books and films to explore, and handy before/after checklists when drinking ayahuasca.
This guide is by and for non-indigenous persons and modern challenges. It is the perfect companion for those who have taken one journey or twenty with ayahuasca and wish to make the most of their experiences.
Are you drinking ayahuasca, or thinking of drinking? Your first ceremony may be confusing, exciting, nauseating, surprising, scary, boring, or joyous. Whatever it is, every time will differ as part of a larger ongoing process. The plants, or La Medicina, are therapeutic and can stimulate an intense psychological and life-shifting spiritual journey for most people.
In this practical guide, you will find must-know key details about ayahuasca. The arc of responsible use covers preparation, ceremony, and integration. You'll find best-practices and insights on archetypes, relationships, energy work, sexuality, related healing approaches, the community, and what it takes to serve medicine. There is also a glossary, list of books and films to explore, and handy before/after checklists when drinking ayahuasca.
This guide is by and for non-indigenous persons and modern challenges. It is the perfect companion for those who have taken one journey or twenty with ayahuasca and wish to make the most of their experiences.
108 pages, Paperback
Published July 10, 2018
About the author
Charles Johnston
325 books8 followersCharles Johnston (1867-1931) was steeped in the wisdom of eastern traditions, having translated also the ten Principle Upanishads of the Vedanta, the Bhagavad Gita, the Tao Teh King of Lao Tse, and the Crest-Jewel of Wisdom of Sankaracharya. Johnston brings his in-depth understanding of the Vedanta to reveal the core meaning of Patanjali's sutras: the birth of the Spiritual Man.
From Wikipedia: He was born on 17 February 1867 in the small village of Ballykilbeg (in Downpatrick), County Down, Northern Ireland. His father, William Johnston (1829–1902), was an Irish politician, a Member of Parliament from South Belfast, and a member of the Orange Order.
Charles Johnston studied Oriental Studies, and learned Sanskrit, Russian and German. Among his classmates were William Butler Yeats and George William Russell, with whom he shared an interest in the occult.
Later, he worked as a journalist. In 1884, he read Alfred Percy Sinnett's work Occult World and founded, together with Yeats and Russell on 16 June 1885, the Hermetic Society in Dublin. He was responsible for introducing W. B. Yeats to Madame Blavatsky in spring 1887.
After 1885 he also joined the Theosophical Society, and co-founded in April/June 1886 the Theosophical Lodge in Dublin. (Later when the Theosophical Society split in 1895, he followed the direction of William Quan Judge and was a member of the Theosophical Society in America (TGinA).)
On 14 October 1888 he married Vera Vladimirovna de Zhelihovsky (1864-1923) the niece of Helena Blavatsky.
He also entered the Indian Civil Service the same year, and later served in the British Bengal Service.
He translated several works from Sanskrit and Russian. As an author, he devoted himself primarily to philosophical and theosophical topics.
He was president of the Irish Literary Society.
From Wikipedia: He was born on 17 February 1867 in the small village of Ballykilbeg (in Downpatrick), County Down, Northern Ireland. His father, William Johnston (1829–1902), was an Irish politician, a Member of Parliament from South Belfast, and a member of the Orange Order.
Charles Johnston studied Oriental Studies, and learned Sanskrit, Russian and German. Among his classmates were William Butler Yeats and George William Russell, with whom he shared an interest in the occult.
Later, he worked as a journalist. In 1884, he read Alfred Percy Sinnett's work Occult World and founded, together with Yeats and Russell on 16 June 1885, the Hermetic Society in Dublin. He was responsible for introducing W. B. Yeats to Madame Blavatsky in spring 1887.
After 1885 he also joined the Theosophical Society, and co-founded in April/June 1886 the Theosophical Lodge in Dublin. (Later when the Theosophical Society split in 1895, he followed the direction of William Quan Judge and was a member of the Theosophical Society in America (TGinA).)
On 14 October 1888 he married Vera Vladimirovna de Zhelihovsky (1864-1923) the niece of Helena Blavatsky.
He also entered the Indian Civil Service the same year, and later served in the British Bengal Service.
He translated several works from Sanskrit and Russian. As an author, he devoted himself primarily to philosophical and theosophical topics.
He was president of the Irish Literary Society.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 3, 2019
The book is a good practical manual that covers many aspects someone might not be aware of like what to eat or not eat before a session and generally what you may encounter during a session. It is not a discussion of mystical states you might encounter. It is one thing to say "you may encounter and talk to archetypes" and another to say "I was standing on a beach on an island in ancient Greece talking to my wife from that time and I was deeply touched by the love in my heart for her".
Dr. Timothy Leary published a book in 1966 called " The Psychedelic Experience" which was based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. In that book is a discussion of levels of consciousness that one can experience (bardos). I read it before doing LSD in 1971. There is no way to really explain a level of consciousness where all the senses merge, where there is no time and where cause and effect have no division. I was like a drop of water in the ocean with a point of consciousness but with no division. The most beautiful music was in the background but I both heard it and sensed it tactilely and visually in waves and colors. Then there was nothing but white light. After a time I again started to have thoughts and realized that if there is no cause and effect that is not connected there can be no question without an answer. So I began to ask "the Divine or whatever supreme consciousness is/was questions about the nature of everything. The answers were immediately provided. It was very humbling but deeply rewarding.
That is what this book lacks. It's good for what it focuses on but the actual mystical states are not discussed in that way. Mysticism is deeply personal as one joins directly with the absolute. It changes you in a profound way and sometimes the process of integrating back into life is a bit of a jarring experience. If you understand personally why non-violence is the only way the coarse and crude way of brutish individuals who are often leaders can be a bit unnerving. Maybe that is a good question to ask the Dali Lama: how to live in this world and have a peaceful heart.
I have yet to take Ayahuasca. Years ago I had experience with LSD, peyote and mushrooms. The comments by those who have taken Ayahuasca lead me to believe that it possesses the same transformative ability to change one's life. There are those who speculate (Mckenna would be one) that transformative influences become available to mainstream individuals when big changes are needed. Climate change is banging on the door. I expect in a few years when it becomes widely apparent to more that major change is needed if we wish to survive that this will help enlighten enough people to make the demands that will precipitate change. I hope so. I remember the Vietnam War protests. This is much more serious. I hope the protests match the need for change.
Dr. Timothy Leary published a book in 1966 called " The Psychedelic Experience" which was based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. In that book is a discussion of levels of consciousness that one can experience (bardos). I read it before doing LSD in 1971. There is no way to really explain a level of consciousness where all the senses merge, where there is no time and where cause and effect have no division. I was like a drop of water in the ocean with a point of consciousness but with no division. The most beautiful music was in the background but I both heard it and sensed it tactilely and visually in waves and colors. Then there was nothing but white light. After a time I again started to have thoughts and realized that if there is no cause and effect that is not connected there can be no question without an answer. So I began to ask "the Divine or whatever supreme consciousness is/was questions about the nature of everything. The answers were immediately provided. It was very humbling but deeply rewarding.
That is what this book lacks. It's good for what it focuses on but the actual mystical states are not discussed in that way. Mysticism is deeply personal as one joins directly with the absolute. It changes you in a profound way and sometimes the process of integrating back into life is a bit of a jarring experience. If you understand personally why non-violence is the only way the coarse and crude way of brutish individuals who are often leaders can be a bit unnerving. Maybe that is a good question to ask the Dali Lama: how to live in this world and have a peaceful heart.
I have yet to take Ayahuasca. Years ago I had experience with LSD, peyote and mushrooms. The comments by those who have taken Ayahuasca lead me to believe that it possesses the same transformative ability to change one's life. There are those who speculate (Mckenna would be one) that transformative influences become available to mainstream individuals when big changes are needed. Climate change is banging on the door. I expect in a few years when it becomes widely apparent to more that major change is needed if we wish to survive that this will help enlighten enough people to make the demands that will precipitate change. I hope so. I remember the Vietnam War protests. This is much more serious. I hope the protests match the need for change.
April 11, 2021
Extremely informative - includes wonderful guidance and perspective. Highly recommended to anyone considering drinking Ayahuasca or even just looking into alternative methods of healing and personal growth.
December 15, 2019
pretty good preparation/intro
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews